May 2001 EdGrid Meeting: Focus Group Information

During the May EdGrid meeting, we will have four opportunities to discuss the ways that EdGrid can impact preservice education. We want to use that time to talk about how the EdGrid projects are changing (or can change) preservice teacher education.

To address these broader issues, we want to form discussions around specific topics which include the following:

1. Planning and Implementing EdGrid projects

This group will focus on issues that deal with planning and developing your EdGrid projects. We will also be interested in your assessment of how well the individual teams are working in developing and shaping the projects.

Key questions for this group include the following:

1. What changes have occurred in your program since its inception?

2. What changes would you like to make but have not done? What is keeping you from making those changes?

3. How instrumental has the team been in developing and shaping the projects?

2. Defining the EdGrid Vision.

This group will address the philosophy behind EdGrid and discuss the relevance of EdGrid activities for changes in teacher education.

Key questions for this group include the following:

1. Why is it important to incorporate computational science and visualization technologies into preservice teacher education programs?

2. How does/can your EdGrid project improve teacher-training programs?

3. Sharing the EdGrid Vision.

This group will focus on ways to tell others about their work with EdGrid.

Key questions for this group include the following:

1. How do you communicate program successes to important constituent audiences?

2. How does the message differ when communicating with:

1. University education faculty d. State education agencies

2. Content-area faculty e. Funding sources

3. University administrators

4. Sustaining EdGrid Activities.

5. The EdGrid grant will end in FY03, but with some work on your part, your programming efforts may continue after that date. This group will focus on ways the projects they have developed can be sustained.

   Key questions for this group include the following:

   1. What strategies have you used that might serve to continue EdGrid projects after the grant ends? What additional strategies might work?

   2. Why is it important that this happens?